Tucking In
by Jagged Fel
Summary: Hermione falls asleep in the Common Room and Harry tucks her in. A bit of reflection and humour.


Title: Tucking In

Author: Jagged Fel

Category: Harry/Hermione ship. A bit of Romance and Friendship.

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Goblet of Fire (not much though)

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry or any other characters in this story, ok? They belong to JK Rowling and Warner Bros.

Summary: Hermione falls asleep in the Common Room and Harry tucks her in. A bit of reflection and humour.

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(A/N: This takes place in Goblet of Fire, probably after the first task and before the last)

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Tucking In

"Hermione?"

"Mmm…?"

"We need to get some sleep."

"Mm."

"Hermione!"

"Alright, alright…" Hermione paused as she failed to stifle a yawn, "Whassa time?"

Harry checked his watch. It was nearly 2 in the morning. Hermione had been staying up with him to help him research for his Potions assignment. 

"It's already 2. Come on—" Harry muffled a yawn of his own, before dragging Hermione from the armchair she had been using as a bed.

Awkwardly balancing his load of heavy library books in one arm and holding Hermione upright with the other, he managed to totter to the foot of the stairs leading to the Boys' dormitories.

"Alright…well, I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Struggling with his load, he made it halfway up the stairs before realising that Hermione was still standing next to the armchair, apparently asleep. Harry sighed and spotted Crookshanks lurking under nearby armchairs, his yellow eyes flicking back and forth between Hermione and Harry.

Harry turned and continued to his dorm and Crookshanks bounded up the stairs after him, hissing and clawing at Harry's heels.

"Ouch! Get away, you stupid cat! I'm _going back_ _for her_…Honestly!"

Dropping the pile of books onto his bed, Harry marched down the stairs again, Crookshanks following closely.

Reaching Hermione, Harry tucked an arm around her waist and helped her half-sleeping form to the bottom stair. After that, she wouldn't budge. He tried prodding her to wake up, but that didn't work either. After five minutes of attempting to force Hermione up the stairs, Harry gave up, slumping against the stair banister, and muttering something about obstinate 4th-year girls. Crookshanks looked up at him expectantly and Harry who happened to meet the cat's gaze, realised what it was hinting at.

"No way! I'm not carrying her up! Do I look like a knight in shining armour to you?"

Harry fell silent, wondering if talking to animals who couldn't return the conversation, was a sign of madness. Then again, Hermione _did_ talk to Crookshanks a lot. 

After another five minutes of contemplating Hermione's sanity, he finally decided he had no choice. Crookshanks had started hissing again, and Harry hastily moved to tuck his other arm behind Hermione's knees and lifted her up. She was lighter than he expected and as he climbed the stairs once more, Crookshanks trotting beside him, Hermione wrapped her arms around Harry's collar and rested her head in the crook of his neck. Her warm, slow breaths brought Harry a slight relief from the biting cold of the night, and as she snuggled closer in his arms, her body heat seemed to spread right through him and he could feel himself go red. Harry hesitated for a moment, considering the position he was in now. If anyone happened to spot them now, there would be rumours right around the school at the first light of dawn.

If Ron could see me now, Harry thought to himself, picturing his friend's jumbled expressions, most likely showing a mixture of amusement and bewilderment and quite possibly, jealousy. He didn't exactly know what feelings Ron harboured for Hermione, but at that instant all Harry found himself hoping was that she didn't feel the same way about him too. 

He continued up the stairs and reached the door to the Girl's dormitories and rather reluctantly, set Hermione on her feet.

"Ok…" He whispered to her, "You can go in now…"

He opened the dormitory door and gave her a slight push in. Crookshanks didn't look too pleased and he trotted inside himself and turned to glare at Harry with big yellow eyes. Hermione, still half-asleep, teetered from the push and started to tumble towards the floor. Only Harry's quick Quidditch reflexes saved her from a very unpleasant jolt back to consciousness as he caught her, a foot off the ground. He blew out a breath and once again picked her up and carried her, this time laying her down on the empty bed he assumed was hers. The 'Get Well' card sent to her by Lockhart two years ago, sitting on a table beside the bed, confirmed this theory. 

Gently pulling the sheet covers over Hermione's sleeping form, Harry paused to watch the steady rise and fall of her chest and the sudden, peaceful beauty that seemed to emanate from his friend's familiar features.

He sat at the side of her bed, marvelling at how long it had taken him to notice his best friend in this light. Her lovely hands, so gentle when it came to comfort him with a friendly pat...or nudge him to pay attention in Potions. Her charming smile that could be amused, anxious and warm all at the same time. Her slender frame that fit so easily in his arms when they embraced or right then, when he had carried her from the Common Room. How could he have not seen one of life's amazing treasures, right in front of his eyes?

Harry brushed at a stray lock of hair that covered her face and caressed her cheek, tracing her lips with his finger. It was all so natural, so instinctive, as Harry intertwined his other hand with hers and brought it to his lips, a gesture of love and caring that seemed foreign to Harry, who hadn't had much experience in expressing those feelings to anyone, in his life. But however foreign, it just felt right.

He eventually stood and leaned over her, placing a tentative kiss on her forehead and bemusedly wondering what might happen to him if he tried that while she was conscious. A flicker of a contented smile crossed Hermione's features as she felt the kiss, still in a dreamy state-of-mind.

With one last glance at Hermione, Harry turned to walk out of the dormitories, oblivious to the two pairs of eyes that watched him… One bright and yellow, the other a soft brown, bemused and sleepy.

In the darkness of the early morning, Hermione Granger suddenly sat upright in her bed. Crookshanks leapt into her lap, purring as she stroked him absently.

"I just had the weirdest dream, Crookshanks…"

~THE END~


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